MORIARTY #1 introduces us to a Moriarty as every bit of an equal to
his archenemy Sherlock Holmes. After Holmes' death, he's discovered
that he's lost his purpose and has settled for a life that doesn't
really excite him. This may may be about to change as the events of
this issue bring him a little too close to the past he left behind.

I
generally don't care for stories that put villains in a sympathetic
light, but here Moriarty is shown more as the character he truly is:
a nemesis of Shelock Holmes. A chess player who no longer has an
opponent. Now he finds himself playing at a new table and we get to
see what makes him a worthwhile foe for Holmes. They very well could
be two sides of the same coin, both almost equally matched at
solving problems and deductive reasoning.

Daniel Corey does a fine job of mixing enough backstory with the
main adventure in "The Dark Chamber" to give readers an idea of
where Moriarty stands. Over the course of the issue, he delivers an
enthralling mystery tale that displays a firm understanding of both
the character and the genre. His choice of dialogue does well to set
apart the various personalities in the book and is full of Victorian
flavor.

The
art by Anthony Diecidue took a while to adapt to. He has a genuinely
unique style but after a few pages it's clear that he is a talented
artist. While the opening scene was probably not the best sampling
of his work, he really shines later on as Moriarty is conducting his
investigations. Often-times his art struck me as the perfect match
for the suspenseful tale and his artsy layouts accentuated the moody
feel.

While
I highly recommend MORIARTY for fans of Sherlock Holmes, even
non-fans will not be disappointed. This is a very satisfying mystery
tale that is worth checking out.